Can a Royal Couple Be a Modern Family?

Introduction

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press Prince William and Kate Middleton at St. James's Palace in London on Tuesday.

In a brief statement on Tuesday, Prince Charles announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton, his longtime girlfriend. After a wedding next year, the couple will live in north Wales, where William works as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force.

The days of dynastic marriages based on class are clearly over for the British royal family. This generation of royals, like those in continental Europe, lead more "normal" lives, or at least have experiences that resemble those of commoners. But have things changed so much that we'll see a marriage of equals who will make household decisions together, cheer at their children's soccer (football?) games and walk side by side? What barriers, personal or institutional, might stand in the way of a modern marriage?